Exploring Toyota's LUNAR CRUISER at a closer range (Part 1)
In a groundbreaking venture, Toyota and Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are collaborating to develop a pressurized crew lunar rover, known as the "Lunar Cruiser." This ambitious project is part of an international effort to establish a foothold on the lunar surface in the 2030s [1].
The collaboration was initiated by Mr. Yukito Ohmura, a lunar rover developer at Toyota Advanced Technology Development Company, and Mr. Kazuya Suenaga of the JAXA Space Exploration Center [2]. The project faced initial opposition within Toyota, but Shigeki Terashi, a director and executive officer of Toyota, rescued it and gave formal approval to start [3]. Terashi's decision was driven by an engineer's curiosity and the desire to unravel the unknown.
Toyota, renowned for pioneering things never done before and building cars that inspire people's inquiring minds, will bring its automotive expertise to the project [4]. JAXA, with over 30 years of experience with astronaut operations on the International Space Station, will contribute its human spaceflight experience [1].
The design process emphasizes improving habitability and coordination with ground control for future lunar missions. Key aspects of the design and construction process include crew system design, operational safety and scenarios, habitability enhancements, integration with ground operations, and construction and scale [1][3]. A full-size model exists, and the delivery to the lunar surface will require a cargo configuration of SpaceX's Starship lunar lander [3].
Japan's contributions to the project are aimed at using its strengths in technology to incorporate them into the pressurized crew rovers, which is considered a national pride [5]. The Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation (JAMSS) participates in the project by evaluating safety protocols, astronaut-support equipment, and the living environment inside the rover [1].
The Shield Room at JAXA simulates the vast environment of outer space to suppress the reflection of radio waves, while the Mission Control Room creates an environment with one-sixth the gravitational pull of the Earth using a spinning centrifuge [6]. The Space Chamber simulates the vacuum and cryogenic temperatures of outer space.
Notable figures involved in the project include Dr. Wakata Koichi, a JAXA Senior Advisor and astronaut, who has traveled to space four times on the U.S. Space Shuttle and the Russian Soyuz [2]. The project, called "Team Japan," also involves multiple Japanese companies with advanced technologies [2].
This collaboration marks a significant step forward in Japan's space activities, with the aim of making them better by involving Toyota in the core of the space program [7]. The pressurized crew lunar rover being developed by Toyota and JAXA is designed through a collaborative process that focuses on crew system design, habitat enhancement, and operational safety to support sustained human activity on the Moon.
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